November 2009: State of Location Apps

I have long been fascinated by location-based applications, especially on the new mobile platforms, for they represent a different (and a new) way of consuming and interaction with information.

So perhaps that’s why I found this new report jointly produced by location-based services company Skyhook Wireless and Distimo, an app analytics company, mildly interesting. Here are some of the highlights for the month of November:

Apple’s iTunes App Store has the largest proportion of paid location-based applications (57 percent) vs. BlackBerry, which has 49 percent and Google’s Android Market, which has 21 percent.

The average price of maps and navigation applications remained steady in both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android Market, despite the introduction of the free Google Maps Navigation app. BlackBerry App World, on the other, had saw a decline of 15 percent to an average of $13.74 from September.

Location-based applications cost, on average, $14.37 in BlackBerry’s App World vs. $7.34 for such apps in Apple’s App Store.

And now little something about the actual location apps:

Google Earth is the highest-ranked “free navigation and travel app” on the Apple platform, followed by MapQuest. Urbanspoon is ranked No. 4, trumping Yelp, which comes in at No. 5. I am especially excited to see Trapster at No. 7. Most of my friends who drive and have iPhone love this speed trap alert service.

Poynt is the highest-ranked BlackBerry app in the “free navigation and travel app” category, followed by Where.

Google Maps is the highest-ranked Android “free navigation and travel app” followed by NYC Subway Maps. Where is at No. 5 and Trapster comes in at No. 10.

When it comes to paid travel applications, CoPilot Live GPS is a winner on Android. MotionX GPS takes the top spot on Apple platforms and GeoCache Navigator is tops in the BlackBerry world.